Battle of the Prom Queens
by creativelyyourz
Summary: Time's winding down for the senior Wildcats which means...Prom! Not only does Sharpay have to compete against Gabriella once again, but now she has to deal with the head cheerleader Mina Lovette. The battle begins and only one will at any cost necessary.
1. What Team?

* * *

**K, this is my first published fanfic ever and I'm excited to finally share it with you guys. I hope you like. Enjoy:)**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the OC. Please don't sue!_**

* * *

A celebratory air blew across the East High Campus as the Wildcats got ready for their middle of the year pep rally. Inside the gym the bleachers were filled packed with roaring wildcats already pepped to their fullest capacity. In the mist of the crowd Gabriella and Taylor took their seats next to Kelsey and Martha and begin to cheer with the crowd, shaking their red and white streamers in the air. Sharpay and Ryan sat at the top of the bleachers. Sharpay looked not all that interested down below as if staring down from her throne at the insignificant peasants. Ryan on the other hand was full of the Wildcat spirit, sporting a red and white outfit accessoriezed with a matching tilted hat. Sharpay glanced at her ridiculous looking brother and shook her head in embarrassment.

Down below, Troy sat with Chad and the rest of his team members on the floor bleachers. He searched around for Gabriella and, upon finally spotting her out, winked at her. She giggled and gave him a wave. Taylor noticed and shot a smile at Chad, who held his hand to his ear imitating a phone and mouthed, "call me".

Finally, the rally began with the sound of the bands booming music. The crowd went wild as the cheerleaders raced onto the floor screaming and yelling to hype up the students even more. Mina, the head cheerleader, moved to the front and held her stance looking pleased at being the center of attention.

"Let me hear all of my wildcats out there!" she yelled. The reaction from the crowd was deafening. Just how she liked it. "5, 6,7,8!" The cheerleaders began their cheer, performing technical moves and high flips and jumps, amazing the audience with their skills. In the middle of her cheer, Mina caught Chad's eye and smiled at him flirtatiously. She continued her dance routine not taking her eyes off of him. Taylor saw this and fumed. Finishing up, the cheerleaders hyped up once more with the crowd and the basketball players raced onto the floor. As Mina passed by Chad she gave him a little smirk.

"Go get 'em, wildcat!" she purred before running off, shaking her pom-poms in the air. Chad stared after her with a smirk, but quickly wiped it off when he noticed Troy watching him. Troy grabbed the mic from Mr. Matsui and cleared his throat.

"Yeah, wildcats!" he yelled, not really knowing what to say next. He wasn't great with speeches and he didn't really know what was expected of him so he just thought back to the previous year and of how much fun he had being a wildcat. "Well, as many of you know, for some of us, this is our last year here at East High and I don't know about you, but I've had a blast! I've done some things I would have never thought I could do. I've learned a lot about myself..." he trailed off and looked back up at Gabriella who was smiling down at him. "And I've met some people I will never forget. So, in honor of our these last few months, I say we make the best of it because after all, we're..."

"All in this together!" the team chimed in.

Chad grabbed the mic. "What team?"

"Wildcats!" everyone yelled in unison.

"Wildcats!"

"Get your head in the game!"

The band began to play again as the students filed out of the bleachers and headed out of the gym. Gabriella, beaming, and Taylor, who wasn't as much in a chipper mood, made their way toward Troy and Chad.

"How'd you like it?" Troy asked, wrapping an arm around Gabriella. "Not too boring, right?"

"Not at all," Gabriella assured him, snuggling up into his arm. "A winning speech, from a winning team."

Chad turned to Taylor. "What about me?"

Taylor looked at him with the face of witty sarcasm coming his way. "I have an idea of who really loved your performance." She glared over at Mina and her crew and Chad followed her gaze then focused his attention back onto Taylor.

"Hey don't worry you're pretty little head over her, ok?" lifting her chin so that their eyes were locked. "There's only one girl for me and I'm looking at her."

Taylor swooned as Troy and Gabriella watched on.

"Aw!" they both teased.

"How cute." Troy added.

They laughed and followed the lingering students toward the exit.

Still up in the bleachers were Ryan and Sharpy over looking the love affairs of the four friends. How she wished that it were she instead of Montez, wrapped into Troy Bolton's arms. It was their senior year and no matter how much she tried to win over his heart during the past years, it never worked out for her. Gabriella just stepped foot into the school a year ago and she already had him wrapped around her little finger. What did she have that Sharpay didn't?

"Come on, Shar!" Ryan interrupted her train of thought. "This is senior year. You'll find some other prima boy."

Sharpay continued to watch Troy and Gabriella walk out of the gym together. "Who said I was thinking about Troy?" she asked as if in a daze.

Ryan narrowed his eyes. "You just did."

She sighed. "You're right," she stared out into the distance. "This is the last year I will ever grace these halls with my presence. There's no time to waste energy on irrelevant matters. Let's go." She leapt to her feet and carefully, due to her fabulous heels, descended down the bleachers.

Rolling his eyes at his sister's unbelievably big ego, Ryan shook his streamers lazily. "Go team!"

* * *

**There you go! The next few chapters will be up soon!**

* * *


	2. Mina on the Loose

Outside on the campus, the students made their way to buses or cars all heading homeOutside on the campus, the students made their way to buses or cars all heading home. In the parking lot, Mina searched the grounds for someone in particular. When she spotted the curly cutie a smile spread across her face. She had had a thing for Chad ever since she laid eyes on him. He was a basketball player and she was a cheerleader, they were perfect for each other. Why hadn't he seen it before? This being their last year at East High, was her last chance to make him realize how much valuable time he wasted away not asking her out. Especially since Prom was coming up. After taking a moment to check and fluff her dark hair in her car's side mirror, she started over to him only to stop a second later once she saw Taylor grab him from behind. Watching intensely, Mina groaned as he wrapped his arm around Taylor and they began to walk together. He could not be serious, she thought to herself. Wasn't she like a science geek or something? What was the world coming to? He deserved someone much better, like a cheerleader for instances, not some human calculator.

"Uh, trying to drive here!"

Mina spun around, reacting to the honking of the car she was standing in front of. Ryan, the owner of the undeniably awesome blue convertible, stared impatiently at Mina. Giving him a dangerously violent stare, she stormed towards her car that was parked right next to his.

"Thank you!" Ryan yelled over to her insincerely.

She gave him a noticeably forced smile and he drove off. Rolling down the window she continued to gaze at Chad and his new girlfriend, who should have been her, contrary to what anyone else thought. Now how was she going to get her hands on him? She was not going to let this year go out without a bang and definitely not without Chad on her arm. That was a given.

She stuck her key into the ignition and zoomed off.

"Mina on the loose!" Zeke laughed. He, Troy, Gabriella, Chad, Taylor, Jason and Kelsi were all crowded together near the entrance.

Chad snickered. "Who gave her a license?"

Gabriella watched Mina race down the road in her sporty silver car. Except that she was the captain of the cheerleaders, Gabriella didn't really know much about her. From what she heard from practically everyone, she was a lot like Sharpay. Already having her disputes with Sharpay, she really hoped that she didn't have to one day go up against Mina as well.

"Hey!" Troy said. "Hoops at my place?"

The gang agreed and departed their separate ways.

The two on two game was tied, 4-4, and to the dismay of the girls, just getting started. Gabriella, Taylor and Kelsi looked on, unable to decipher the basketball lingo that was being called down the court. Zeke had backed some of his delicious cookies, that the girls almost devoured, which kept them occupied.

"You know that they could go at it forever, right?" Taylor assured her friends, nibbling on her fourth cookie.

Gabriella washed hers down with a bottle of water. "At least we have these!" She held up her half bitten cookie. Taylor mimicked her and Kelsi giggled as they hit their treats together before continuing to munch on them.

"Whoo!" Troy held up the time out sign, which Gabriella only recognized because she once mistook it as him holding up his initial. "I think I need a break!" Flopping down next to her, he leaned over and grabbed a cookie for himself.

Chad held up the lunch bag disappointedly. "Wow you guys. Thanks for saving us some."

"Don't worry about it," said Zeke, taking the bag. "There's more in the fridge."

Gabriella smiled as Zeke, Chad, Taylor, Jason and Kelsi rushed into the Bolton's' house. Zeke would make a great chef one day. He was always so prepared. Not to mention that his desserts were amazing.

"Hey!" She turned to Troy and looked into his eyes. "Where do you want to be after this?"

Troy thought about it for a second. "Well, we could go to the movies."

Gabriella giggled. "No. I mean, where do you want to be after high school is over?"

The look on Troy's face became more serious. "You know what happened the last time I thought too much into the future."

Of course, she remembered. It almost ruined their friendship. They all got a job working for the Evans' and thanks to Sharpay's persistence, Troy was handed some really great opportunities that had some not so great impacts on him. It was like he was turning into a different person. One Gabriella wasn't really into.

"I know," she said meekly, sorry for bringing it up again. "It's just, everyone else seems to know exactly where they're going, and I'm still trying to figure out who I am."

Troy gazed into her eyes, and she knew he understood. "You're Gabriella," he sighed. "The nice, sweet girl who just so happens to be smart and an awesome singer. That's all you need to know right now."

He was right, Gabriella thought. The last thing she wanted to do was lose herself in the days that lied ahead instead of living in the day that was going on just then. "And you're the guy who always knows just what to say, Troy Bolton." They leaned into a kiss just to be interrupted by the sound of the door behind them.

"Zeke," Chad began with a mouthful of cookie. "We are so starting a bakery business after graduation."

"Can I be the waiter?" Jason piped in. Everyone looked at him perplexed at his random request. He shrugged. "I kind of miss it."

Chad shook his head in disbelief. "Sure Jason. Whatever you say." He stuffed another cookie into his mouth and took a seat next to Taylor.

"Just think," Taylor said, leaning into Chad's shoulder. "This could be the last few months we ever spend this way. Together."

Everyone glanced from one person to the next, their faces filled with sadness. Gabriella looked over at Chad and saw that instead of his usual comedic comeback, his expression was solemn. Troy also seemed to notice the mood change, so he stood up and snatched the ball from Chad's grasp, bouncing it in front of him.

"Until then," he smiled. "We have a game to finish!" The boys ran back onto the court, all signs of gloom vanishing from their faces. They were livening in the moment and they were making the most of it by enjoying every sweaty second of it. From that point on, Gabriella promised herself that she would do the same.

After the game, Jason and Kelsi walked home together since they only lived a few houses away. There had been something on Kelsi's mind that she had wanted to say, but too afraid to let it out. This seemed like the perfect time since she and Jason were now alone.

"Um, Jason…" she started nervously.

"Yea?"

She bit her bottom lip and decided to go for it. There was no telling when she could ever get this chance again. "You know prom's coming up…"

Jason frowned. "Yea. I know." He stared down at the cracks in the concrete as they continued to walk. "I'm not going."

"Why not?" Kelsi asked a bit disappointed. "It's our senior year."

"I just can't." Jason replied quickly. "I gotta go. See you tomorrow."

Kelsi stood in place as Jason walked away, his focus on the ground. Well, that didn't go so well. Why wasn't he going to his senior prom? She was like the shyest person in the school, and even she was going. There had to be a good reason, but what?


	3. You Could Always Bribe Them

**Thanks so much you guys for the reviews, you're awesome! And I hope you had a great memorial day. May God Bless our troops!  
**

* * *

"Good morning all!" Ms. Darbus sang, her voice traveling through her homeroom filled with sleepy looking students, all except Sharpay who always looked her best. Of course it was her duty to do so since she was constantly in the public eye. She had to be an example for all of the underclassmen who admired her. How bad she felt for them when she would leave East High for the very last time. They could always check out their local movie theatres and see her acting abilities spanned across the silver screen. She let out a dreamy sigh and meditated on accepting her first Oscar.

"It has been brought to my attention," Ms. Darbus continued, "that the peer voting of Prom King and Queen is underway!"

Sharpay jumped back into reality as the title "Prom Queen" grabbed her attention.

"Today you will decide on whom you will nominate. The top picks will be listed outside of the office and voted upon during the Prom. Now, choose wisely, for this is not just a popularity contest…"

As Ms. Darbus continued on about the importance of wise decisions, Sharpay leaned over to Ryan. "You nominate me, I'll nominate you," she whispered discreetly.

Ryan nodded. "What's in it for me?"

Sharpay was appalled. "You get the satisfaction of doing something nice for your sister. Remember you owe me!"

"Shar!" Ryan interrupted her before she bit his head off. "I was kidding. I'll nominate you."

She took a deep breath and glanced around the classroom. "Now, it's all a matter of convincing everyone else." She suddenly started to regret the way she had treated her classmates over the previous years. Yea, at times she was pretty mean, but she had changed a little since then. Just last year, she unselfishly gave up her Star Dazzle Award to Ryan. Didn't she deserve some good deed points for that?

"Well you could always bribe them," Ryan joked as Ms. Darbus handed him a small ballot.

Sharpay thought about that for a moment. It wasn't such a bad idea.

Ryan looked up at her once he didn't get a response and knew that she was actually considering the idea. "We really need to work on this 'joke' thing." He picked up a pen and signed in Sharpay's name, stopping at the second line. "Who should I put for Prom King?"

"Yourself," she said curtly. Who else would he put?

"What's the point of everyone putting in their own names?" he asked, totally at a loss of the concept. "We'd get nowhere."

Sharpay sighed at her clueless brother. He could be so dubious at times. "Everyone's not going to vote for themselves, Ry," she explained. "They're too... modest. That's why we should!" After signing Ryan's name, she signed her own in elaborate, huge letters.

"Whatever." Ryan, still uncertain, shrugged and signed his name.

"Taylor McKenzie." Chad read aloud as he wrote Taylor's name down on his slip.

"Don't even think about it," Taylor whispered firmly.

Chad smirked and held up his paper. "Too late."

Taylor smirked back and folded her paper in half. She had nominated Chad as prom king, of course, and Gabriella as prom queen. Being on the prom court was never a big deal for her. Honestly, she couldn't care less if she made it or not. It would kind of be awesome to go to the prom with a prom king that is if Chad were chosen. The worse scenario with that situation could be if Mina won prom queen. So in order to prevent that from happening, she would do everything in her might to make sure that Gabriella won instead. After all, she really did deserve it. Because of her, the whole school was a different place. It was united and the cliques that were created were now diminished. Brainiacs could talk to basketball players. She smirked at Chad. And even date them.

Ms. Darbus had left the room for reasons she had not known since she wasn't paying attention and looking over her classmate's shoulders she could see that some of them were still undecided. This was the perfect opportunity to promote Gabriella.

"Excuse me!" She held up her hand and everyone looked her way. "I know that this is all a secret ballot," she admitted nervously, "but I would like to put in my suggestion, if I may." The class seemed to be attentive so she continued. "Our prom queen should be someone who has made a big impact on our school and someone who's wildcat spirit shines contagiously." Taking a deep breath, she turned to Gabriella who widened her eyes. "I nominate Gabriella Montez."

In every direction, heads were nodding in agreement and pens started to move about the small piece of paper. Gabriella glanced at the ballots around the room getting more nervous every time she spotted her name. She looked over at Troy for help, who smirked and held up his own paper with her name written on it.

"And," Gabriella chimed in. "I nominate Troy Bolton. As prom king."

Troy's grin faded away, "Wait!"

Suddenly his protests where muffled by the chanting of his and Gabriella's name. Gabriella and Troy turned to Taylor who held up two thumbs with a cheery smile while Chad rooted them on with the rest of the class.

Sharpay and Ryan, who had been watching the whole thing looked at each other.

Ryan gave a weak smile. "So much for that."

Sharpay continued to watch the chanting class infuriated. This was not happening. Again!

Mina strolled through hallway with one thing on her mind: becoming prom queen. How convenient it would be for the queen of the halls to be crowned in front of her peers, in the arms of her handsome king. Talk about happily ever after. But, unfortunately, in order for her fairy tale to come true she had to round up as many serfs- classmates- as she could to vote for her. She knew it wasn't going to be an easy task seeing as though Sharpay also had a heads up being the schools top thespian. And then there was Gabriella Montez, the new girl. To Sharpay's horror, she stole her precious showcase from her. Thankfully enough, Gabriella didn't try out for the cheerleading squad. Not like she was any match for Mina. She just knew that Gabriella had a way with people. Manipulating them with her too good to be true smile. Anyway, whoever it was that she was up against, she had to make sure that she was in the lead.

Taking out her cell she dialed a number and held the phone up to her ear. She had to get in touch with her secret technician nerds, so that they could come up with all of the content for her campaign. Just then a hand swooped down and grabbed her phone. Upon retaliation, Mina spun around and watched her phone get dropped into a tin can.

"Ms. Lovett!" Mina sighed and crossed her arms at the sight of Ms. Darbus, the crazy drama teacher. "How wonderful to see you again. I assume that you recall where our detention is held."

"Yes, Ms. Darbus!" she answered as sincerely as she could pull off.

Ms. Darbus nodded and went on her way, leaving Mina to scold. Great! She had detention with Ms. Darbus. This year was off to a great start…


	4. Crazier Things Have Happened

**Sorry if I'm moving a little slow with the updates guys, I'm just trying to make sure every thing's flowing right. Thanks again for the reviews:)!**

* * *

The last bell rang indicating the end of the day and the students rushed out of their classes, Kelsi and Gabriella in the midst of the crowded halls.

"Hey, Gabs," she said as they met up, "I nominated you for prom queen."

"Thanks." Gabriella replied.

Kelsi could tell that she was a little uneasy about it. "What's wrong?"

Gabriella shrugged. "It's just that last year and even this summer, I've been competing against Sharpay. Honestly, all I want to do is enjoy myself at Prom. Prom queen's cool and all, but who cares if I don't win. Just as long as I'm with Troy nothing else matters."

Kelsi suddenly began to feel a little down herself. All day long she had been trying to think of the possible reasons why Jason didn't want to go to prom and came up with one final conclusion. Maybe he just didn't want to go with her.

"Did you find a date yet?" Gabriella asked, as if reading her mind.

Kelsi shook her head. "Nope. Not yet."

"Don't worry," Gabriella reassured her. "We'll find you someone. Look there's Jason. What about him?"

Kelsi watched Jason make his way down the hall and she looked away, feeling too embarrassed to look him in the eyes.

"What's up, Gabriella." His smile weakened. "Hey, Kels."

"Hey, Jason," Gabriella started, "we were just talking…"

"You guys, I have to go." Kelsi interrupted. "Lot's of homework. See you tomorrow." She quickly walked down the opposite side of the hall and vanished into the crowd.

_Poor, Kels. _Gabriella thought. Since she was too shy to confront Jason herself, she would have to do it for her.

"So, Jason. Are you taking anyone to the Prom?"

A confused look spread across Jason's face. "But I thought you and Troy were going together."

Gabriella giggled. "I'm not asking for me, silly. I'm asking for Kelsi."

Jason scratched the back of his neck. "No. I don't have a prom date. Mostly because I'm not going."

"What? Why not?"

He hesitated. "Promise you won't tell anyone. Especially Kesli."

"I promise."

Jason took a deep breath and leaned over to whisper into Gabriella's ear.

It was finally the end of the school day and Mina was entering her jail cell for the afternoon. She glanced around at the atmosphere she came to know too well due to her repetitively getting her phone confiscated. Right now she could be doing something much better with her time, but because of Ms. Darbus and her need for production help, she was trapped there. Accepting that fact, she pulled back a chair and took a seat at a table where the scripts where assembled. She dropped her purse on top of the table and began to order pages.

"Need some help?"

Mina looked up to see Ryan take a seat next to her and looked away, already annoyed. Ryan, realizing that he wasn't welcomed took seat and started putting the script together silently. Mina sighed. As much as she really didn't like this guy or his overly done dance moves, having someone to talk to during that long and torturous hour could possible help her from going insane.

"Are you trying out?"

Startled by the sudden conversation, Ryan looked up at her. "Yea. Are you?"

Mina scoffed at the sound of that. "Please!" Her in a musical? She would rather try out for the Math league. She winced. Or not.

"Crazier things have happened," Ryan reminded her. Right, she thought. Troy Bolton was not only a star basketball player, but also a singer. Still, Mina liked where she stayed and she wasn't planning on changing anytime soon. "Maybe you should give it a shot." Ryan handed her the now ordered script.

Maybe talking to him was as bad of an idea as it sounded. "I don't think so." She took the pages and pushed the black bind through the holes.

"I just..." Ryan started.

"So anyway!" Mina interpreted him, waiting for him to continue working.

Ryan got the hint and started stacking the pages on top of each other. "And I thought I would be away from my sister for an hour."

Mina shot her eyes his way. "What's that supposed to mean?" Did he just compare her to Sharpay?

She could tell that Ryan was holding back his resentment. But instead of acting on it he shook his head. "Nothing."

"You know what?" Mina grabbed the pages that he was holding. "I think I can manage on my own."

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Fine." He slid back his chair and walked away.

Starring down at all of the unbounded papers, Mina began to regret her dismissive attitude. She actually began to feel sorry for Ryan. All his life he had to deal with a starlight-hogging sister who he had no other choice, but to follow like a lost puppy. As much as it would hurt her, she had to apologize. Especially if she wanted people to vote for her as their prom queen.

"Ryan!" she got up and spun around to see him talking with Chad near a huge star still under construction.

Ryan and Chad both looked her way and she froze in place. This was the moment she had been waiting for. Now was the time to show Ryan her own acting skills. If she wanted votes, and Chad, now was the opportunity to grab them.

She put on a sympathetic face and walked over to Ryan. "I'm sorry!" she sighed.

After sharing a look with Chad who couldn't believe his ears, he turned back to her. "Huh?"  
"I was upset about landing in detention and I took it out on you. Forgive me?"

Startled and utterly speechless, Ryan gave a sigh of relief. "Yea. Absolutely. Apology accepted."

"Thank you." Mina smiled warmly. "And to answer your question. Yes, I really could use some help. That is, if you still want to."

Chad smirked at Ryan who's face seemed to redden. "Go ahead, man! I'm going to go take a nap under the cardboard bridge over there." He patted Ryan on the back and gave a smile to Mina before walking off. She returned it with a skipping heart.

"Let's get started," Ryan said holding out his hand for Mina to lead the way. She smirked to herself. She had him right where she wanted him. And those seats weren't a bad view of her real target. This could actually be fun.


	5. Twinstincts

**Finally, it's updated again. I'm still working on the story so that's why I didn't want to just put everything up at once. But I did put double the chapters to get more into the action. Hopefully, I'll be finished soon.**

* * *

"I want a huge glittery banner with my fabulous face at the center," Sharpay demanded, pacing back in forth in the cafeteria. She turned to Ryan who was leaning over a notebook filled with all of Sharpay's glamorous ideas for her campaign. "You'd be there too of course, just someplace in the background."

Any other day, Ryan would have objected but he wasn't paying attention enough to even hear what Sharpay was saying. He had been thinking about the detention he had spent with Mina. She turned out to be pretty cool, once he got to know her. Instead of the catty girl who glared at everyone who walked down the halls, he got to meet the nice girl who laughed at his jokes and actually apologized for being wrong. He took every negative thing he ever thought about her back. She was nothing like Sharpay.

"Ryan!" Speaking of the drama queen. He jumped up and looked at her. "Why are you not writing this down?"

He straightened up stared down at his paper, grabbing the pen next to him. "Right. What was that about you being center?"

Sharpay beamed. "I want one of my best photos- which is going to be a hard choice since all of my photos are flawless..."

Ryan wrote down all that he could before zoning out again, leaving Sharpay's voice to trail off. He knew that it was harsh of him, but he secretly started considering to vote for Mina as prom queen. It's a good thing Sharpay's twinstincts didn't kick in. If she found out what he was thinking, he would definitely get his head bit off this time.

Early the next morning, the East High students were crowded around a bulletin board near the school lobby. The ballots had been in and the nominees with the most votes were posted. Gabriella stood with Taylor and Chad, starring at the list. Right in between Mina and Sharpay for prom queen, was Gabriella Montez.

"Congrats, Gab!" Taylor cried. "I can't wait to see the look on Sharpay's face when she finds out!"

I could, Gabriella thought. She had had enough of the Gabriella vs. Sharpay battles. This year she just wanted to have fun, which is why she really didn't want to be nominated for prom queen. Unless... she looked through the prom king nominees and there he was. Troy Bolton, right underneath Ryan Evens. For a second she grew more excited, then she sighed. "If only I truly had a chance. I'm going against the queen of the theatre and the princess of the cheerleading squad."

"So what?" Taylor asked, "You're a nominee, right?"

"Which means you're still in the game!" Chad said, spinning a basketball on one finger.

"You have my vote," Taylor smiled.

"Mine, too!"

Gabriella spun around to see Troy coming their way, hiding something behind his back. As soon as they were face to face, he held out a red and white corsage in front of her.

"Gabriella Montez, will you go to the prom with me?"

Gabriella beamed. "I'd love to!"

Troy blew out a sigh of relief and smiled. He took the beautiful corsage out of the clear plastic box and placed it around Gabriella's wrist.

Chad looked down at his ball and held it out to Taylor. "Taylor McKenzie? Will you go to the prom with me?"

Taylor giggled and took the ball from him. "Of course I will!"

"Good," Chad sighed. "Now that that's out of the way let's get to homeroom before I have to spend another boring hour with Ms. Darbus." He swung his arm around Taylor and they walked off. Troy took Gabriella's hand and they slowly followed.

Gabriella couldn't stop staring at her flower. "It's beautiful," she whispered.

"I hoped you would like it," Troy responded. "This whole Prom thing is new to me so I didn't really know what to get."

"It's perfect!" Gabriella stared up into Troy's eyes and he stared back. All of the worries about prom queen flew out of the window. All she could think about now was going to the Prom with Troy and knowing that the night would be one she would remember for the rest of her life. She leaned her head against his shoulder as they continued down the hall.

Sharpay hid behind a wall, overhearing everything. She had been the first to read the post and was horrified to see that she not only had Mina to deal with, but also goody two shoes Gabriella. It wasn't bad enough that she had stole away her musical and her Troy, but now she was trying to steal away her crown?

And where was Ryan? They had promised to meet up in the lobby to discuss her campaign before homeroom. It wasn't like him to be a no show. He had constantly done whatever she told him to without hesitation. How could he stand her up at such a crucial point in her high school life!

Just then her purse rang. Cautiously, she searched the halls for Ms. Darbus then took out her cell. Glancing at the ID, she flipped it open. "Where are you?" she whispered shrilly, looking over her shoulder.

"Right in front of you." Ryan came walking up to her holding a phone to his ear and a stack of large illuminated pink posters with Sharpay's face on them. They both snapped their phones shut.

Sharpay reached for a poster and held it up with a grin of satisfaction. "Did you bring the hall passes?"

Ryan pulled out two identical pieces of paper. "Let's get started!"


	6. Perky Little Pet Brother

_You have got to be kidding!_ Taking one step out of homeroom, Mina stood in place, completely amazed and horrified all at once. Everywhere she looked she saw a huge headshot of a grinning Sharpay, taunting her. Instead of the usual river like movement of the halls, the students and faculty were also staring at the Sharpayed posters posted on every section of the wall, hardly leaving an inch of white paint.

Mina groaned. She had run into Ryan early that morning before homeroom and he told her about how he was helping his sister with her campaign. She was expecting a few buttons or t-shirts, not a whole school full of Sharpay's demeaning smiles. Storming away, Mina ripped one of the posters off of the wall.

"What is this?" Mina stood in front of Sharpay, holding her glittery poster in front of her.

Sharpay smiled. "It's me!"

Mina breathed. "Of course it's you. I get that! What I don't get, is how you think you can just vandalize the school with your face!"

"Vandalize?" Sharpay snatched the poster out of Mina's hand and held it up. "This is a masterpiece! This school should be grateful. Previously, the halls were mundane and boring! Now they're..."

"Pink and repulsive!"

Sharpay shrieked throwing her hand to her mouth. "Excuse me?"

"You heard what I said!" Mina snapped. "This little campaign pic that you've posted up is nothing but a weak desperation to get votes to be Prom Queen." She crossed her arms and put on a smirk. "Thanks to you, I just got a better shot at winning."

"Puh-leese?" Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Who would vote for you besides your perky little cheerleader pets."

Mina's smirk broadened. "You're perky little pet brother."

This seemed to hit a nerve. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh he didn't tell you?" Mina laughed. "Then why should I?"

"Stay away from Ryan?" Sharpay said moving forward, an inch away from her. Instead of the usual response that she would get from her other victims, Mina didn't back down but stood in place.

"Or what?" Mina asked coolly. She could see the frustration in Sharpay's eyes and she loved it. They stared at each other, neither wanting to back down. Finally the bell broke the silence.

"I hope you know this means war," Sharpay hissed.

"Bring it dramaqueen!" Mina smirked back.

Sharpay squealed and stormed off down the hall, leaving Mina to meditate in her victory. Now all she had to do was get Ryan completely on her side and Sharpays campaign would crumble down into a pile of fabulous ruins.

Sharpay stormed up to Ryan just as he was heading into the auditorium.

"Hey, Shar!" He gave her a smile, but it vanished as soon as he saw her expression. "What's up?"

"Don't 'what's up' me!" she yelled, pointing a finger at him which caused him to shuffle back. The response that she was hoping for.

"What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" She laughed. "What's wrong?! What's wrong is that you've been fraternizing with the enemy. Again."

Ryan looked away, totally confused. "What?"

Trying hard to keep her composure, Sharpay breathed in and out slowly. "Have you been talking to Mina Lovett?" The way Ryan stared down at his shoes was not settling. "It's a yes or no question!" She snapped. Keeping her composure wasn't working out at the moment.

"Yes!" Ryan shrugged. "We've been hanging out..."

"Hanging out!?" Sharpay yelled, startling passerby's in the hallway. "You do not hang out with our competition, Ryan. How many times do I have to tell you!"

Ryan continued to stare down at his shoes. "And how many times do I have to tell you," he finally looked her in the eyes, and Sharpay didn't like what she saw one bit. "I'm not your poodle. I can talk to whoever I want."

Sharpay was at a loss. What was happening here? Ryan was actually talking back to her? What was that Mina girl turning him into? "But Ry..."

"Sorry, Shar!" Ryan said, standing straight. "You can't always get what you want. I guess now you'll realize that." He turned around and pushed through the double doors of the auditorium.

Leaning against the door, Sharpay was speechless. She couldn't believe her ears. Not only was her own brother going against her, but he was also allying up her competition and worst enemy. Her campaign would be nothing without someone to do all the work and that someone was Ryan. It had always been Ryan. Taking another breath, she lifted her chin. She didn't need him. He needed her, and pretty soon he'd realize it when he found out that Mina was only using him to get to her. If she had to do everything herself, so be it. It worked out for the best, actually. Everything could be done her way with no objections. Her campaign would be so good that the whole of East High would be overflowing with students wearing Sharpay memorabilia. The support will be so overwhelming that she'll win Prom Queen by a landslide. Mina didn't stand a chance.

Kelsi stuffed her books in her locker and retracted her sheet music so that she could practice for free period. Prom had been the main concern for most of the wildcats, hence the multitude of Sharpays scattered around the halls, but seeing as though she was still out of a date she decided to focus more on their last musical for the year. As she closed her locker she saw Gabriella coming her way.

"Hey, Kels. This is for you." She held out a neatly creased piece of paper.

Kelsi took it and stared at it puzzled. "What is it?"

"You'll see." Gabriella smirked and walked away.

Unfolding the paper, Kelsi scanned the scribbled words that read: "Meet me in the music room. " She shrugged and headed for the room.

As she got closer to her destination, she grew more and more nervous. Who could be hiding behind the door? Was it a secret admirer? The only way to find out would be to open it and so she did. Her stomach dropped when she saw Jason leaning up against the piano. He looked even more nervous than she did.

"Jason…"

He pushed himself off of the piano and moved over to the stereo beside it. "I wanted to show you something. Just… don't laugh."

Kelsi nodded in agreement. He a took a deep breath and pressed play. The music blared through the speakers and Jason nodded to the beat. When the melody played, he tapped his feet and started to dance. Horribly. His arms swung wildly and he barely kept up with the beat. It took all the strength Kelsi had not to burst into laughter.

Just when she thought she couldn't hold it in any longer, Jason turned off the music.

"That's why I can't go to the prom," he said, breathing heavily. "I can't dance."

Kelsi smirked and covered her mouth with her fingers.

Jason looked away ashamed. "You said you weren't going to laugh."

"I'm not laughing because you can't dance," she reassured him. "I'm laughing because I thought you didn't want to go to the prom with me."

Jason looked surprised. "No! I want to go to the prom with you. I was even thinking about asking you, but if you knew about my problem I was sure you would say no."

"It's not a problem," Kelsi said. She moved a bit closer. "We can fix it."

"We can?" Jason asked. He didn't sound so convinced. "How?"

Kelsi's smile broadened. "Because I'm going to teach you!" It was the perfect solution! She had watched Ryan and Sharpay dance countless times. Why wouldn't she be able to teach Jason how to dance? Of course, she wasn't as experienced at them, but she could at least help lesson his embarrassment.

Jason's shame turned into excitement. "You would do that for me?"

"How else would I get my prom date on the dance floor? I mean, if we were going together, that is."

"If you can teach me to dance before prom, I would most definitely go to the prom with you."

Kelsi pressed play on the stereo and the music started up again. "Shall we?" She held out her hand.

Jason took hold of it. "We shall."


	7. You're Going to Love It!

* * *

**I know it's a while, but I felt like now was the time to finally update this story. Taking that break really helped me get more excited about it so hopefully I'll be updating more frequently. **

**To refresh everyone's memory: I do not own HSM or any characters except the original.  
**

* * *

"Ryan you're a genius!" Mina shrieked as Ryan exited his car. Her eyes were glued to the purple t-shirt that he wore with the words 'Vote For Mina Lovett! You're going to Love It!' written in blue. It was kind of corny, but in a cute and catchy way. Ryan told her about his little spiff with Sharpay and how he was now Mina's for the using.

_A little too late for that_, Mina thought. Her plan was moving along a lot quicker than she expected, not like she was complaining. Just a few more steps to take and that crown would be hers.

"I'm glad you like them," Ryan said. He popped open his trunk and opened a box filled with the identical t-shirts. "Which means everyone else will, too."

Mina smiled at his attempt to compliment her on her fashion. "Will you do the pleasure?" she asked, eyeing the first objects to bring about her victory.

"Of course!" He reached back into his trunk and pulled out a bullhorn. Clearing his throat, he placed it to his mouth. "Free T-shirts! Vote For Mina Lovett! You're going love it!"

Mina shifted her eyes to his and stared at him oddly.

He glanced at the bullhorn and shrugged. "Drama club prop. I borrowed it for this occasion."

Efficient and prepared. She liked it. Sharpay had no idea how much Ryan was actually worth for her to just let him walk away. Watching the mass of students strolling over to get their hands on the latest fashion, Mina appreciated his services even more.

* * *

"What's going on?" Troy asked Chad as they met up in the parking lot. A huge crowd had formed up ahead and everywhere he looked someone was sporting a purple and blue t-shirt.

"Two words," Chad said, reading a t-shirt as the owner walked past. "Mina Lovett. I wonder who came up with that slogan," he said rolling his eyes.

Troy nodded forward. "Two words. Ryan Evens." He saw it. But he didn't believe it. Why was Ryan working to gain votes for Mina when his sister was also running for Prom queen? "What's going on?" he asked, even more confused.

"Whatever it is, Sharpay can't be too happy about it?" Chad said, craning his neck to see if he could spot out the ice queen. "Look there she is!" He pointed to a pink convertible pulling into a parking spot. "Come on!" he patted Troy excitedly. "We cannot miss this!" They pushed through the crowed and watched a puzzled Sharpay exit her car. The people parted as she walked through and she froze at the sight of her brother with Mina.

"Ryan!"

Ryan brought the bullhorn from his mouth and smirked at his sister with a confident air Troy had never seen him have before. He actually looked unaffected by Sharpay's present. As if what he was doing wasn't at all out of the ordinary.

"Hey, Shar! Like the attire?"

Sharpay glanced down at the shirt he was wearing and shifted her eyes back to his. "You can't be serious!"

"Oh he's serious," Mina chimed in, her hand on her hip.

Sharpay turned so red that Troy thought she would burst into a glittering flame. Tearing her eyes away from Mina she glared at Ryan and surprisingly he didn't flinch. And, to Troy's complete disbelief she walked away. Without a scream, without a glint of vengeance in her conniving eyes. Not even one last insult to make her dramatic exit. She just walked away and as she passed by him, Troy could see a stray tear roll down her cheek.

He took a step to follow her, but Chad grabbed his arm.

"I wouldn't if I were you!" he said, looking concerned. "An unstable Sharpay is not a pretty one. I'd hate to see what you'd look like after she got through with you."

Troy kept his gaze on Sharpay, whose usual conceited stride had turned into a sloppy stroll. "It's fine, man," he said. "Whatever happens, you can keep my ball." He felt Chad's grasp loosen and he took a breath wondering what he was getting himself into.

* * *

"Sharpay!"

Sharpay spun around at the sound of his voice. What? Did he want to flaunt that lousy excuse of a t-shirt in her face too?

"What do you want, Bolton?" she replied, wiping away her tears with her sleeve. The last thing she wanted to do was let him see her cry. She wasn't supposed to show such meek emotions.

"I just wanted to know if you were OK," Troy said. From the tone of his voice, she knew that he was being sincere, but it didn't matter because in about 5 minutes school would start and he would be tangled up into the arms of Gabriella.

"I'm fine," she said, though clearly she wasn't.

"Really?" Troy asked. "Because to me it looked like you were crying."

Great. He'd seen the tears.

"I said I'm fine," Sharpay said a little more threatening. Why wouldn't he just leave? Just like her brother. She felt the tears rush to her eyes again. "Please go away."

Troy seemed let down. Good for him. There was no way she was going to be his first good deed of the day.

"Ok," he said.

Sharpay exhaled. Finally she could go in the bathroom and swim in her self pity alone.

"But if it makes you feel any better, I wouldn't be caught dead wearing that shirt."

A slight giggle came from Sharpay and she glanced away. Yet again, Troy Bolton had cracked her guard she tried to keep up for so long. Soon the realization came to her of why he wouldn't wear it. "Because of Gabriella right?"

Troy shrugged. "Well, yea, but also because the purple and blue scheme isn't really my thing. I'm more of a red and white guy."

This time she let a smirk spread across her mouth without trying to hold it back. "Thanks. That really did make me feel better."

He smirked back. "Anytime. Good luck by the way. May the best girl win."

Sharpay nodded. Suddenly an idea came to her. "Hey, Troy!"

Troy spun back around. "Yea?"

This was it! The perfect way to make sure that Mina didn't make prom queen. At that point it really didn't matter if she won herself, just that Mina didn't and what better way to accomplish that then by teaming up with the retinue of nominee number 3. Mina may have won that battle, but the war was just beginning.

She hesitated, not believing what she was actually considering to do, but desperate times called for desperate measures and she was definitely desperate for revenge. "I have a proposal for you."


End file.
